Overwinding preventer



Jan." 22, 1929i 1,699,617

j K. H. MEIER- QVERWINDING PREVENTEB vFiled sept. 29, 1925 ruwwfazbm A TTO RNEYS.

Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UN ITED STAT ESY g 1,699,611 ,PATENT oFFlcE.

KARL HEINRICH METER, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

OVERWINDING PREVENTER.

Applicati'on lcd September 29, 1925, Serial No. 59,333, andin Switzerland September 3, 1925.

My invention relates to' apparatus for winding up watches or clockson motor vehicles, especially on motor cars. lith these watches or clocks it happens frequently that they stop in consequence of not being wound up. According to my invention this drawback is-obviated by using the rotations of the motor for winding up the watch spring. In my improved apparatus any part connected to the motor and rotated by the same is connected to the watchsp'ring by means of an equaliZing-device of any suitable kind, for instance by means of a differential gear of any suitable construction. In my improved apparatus I prefer to use as such rotating part the flexible shaft driving the mileage or speed indicator, however' any part rotated byl the motor could also be used.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application I have illus* trated several forms in which my invention may be embodied, although it will beunderstood that the illustrations are not intended to be exhaustive of the manifold forms this invention may take.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a construction adapted to put the invention into effect; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a modified form of a detail. Fig.- 3 is a similar view showing still another modification of the same detail.

In the drawings only so much of the completed apparatus is shown as to enable one skilled in the art to understand my invention.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, 1 designates the usual flexible shaft driving the mileage or speed indicator. The shaft 1 is mounted to rotate in a support 1 and carries a spur bevel wheel 2 secured thereon. The wheel 2 meshes with a bevel Wheel 3, which is secured to a shaft 4 mounted to rotate in suitable bearings 4 which are fast on the support 1. A toothed Wheel 5 is secured to the shaft 4 and meshes With a toothed Wheel forming one part with the conical pinion 8 of a differential gear. The wheels 6 and 8 are mounted toturn free on a shaft 7 which is mounted to rotate in suitable bearings 7. The conical pinion 8 meshes with a bevel wheel 9, which is mounted to rotate on an axle 9 supported by a sleeve 9, which is secured to the shaft 7. A conical pinion 10 is mounted to turn on the shaft 7 and meshes with the bevel Wheel 9. A toothed Wheel 11 forming one part With the conical pinion 10 meshes with a toothed wheel 12 secured to a shaft 13,

which is mounted to rotate in suitable bear vings 13. A disc 14, for instance of aluminum or any other suitable material, is secured to the shaft 13 and is mounted to rotate between the poles of a magnet- 15. A

worm 16` secured to the shaft 7 meshes with a worm wheel 17, which is yconnected to the watch spring 18. In a preferred construction ef my improved apparatus the mileage andspeed indicators are driven immediately from the flexible shaft 1. To this end a bevel wheel 31 is securedto a shaft 32 driving said indicators, and meshes with the-bevel Wheel 2, as indicated on the drawing `by dotted lines. l

The apparatusof Fig. 1 operates as follows: If the flexible shaft 1 is rotated by the ,motor not shown in the drawing, by the action of the magnet on the disc 14 this latter is braked, the braking action being` transmitted to the conical pinion 10 of the differential gear. In consequence thereof the conical pinion 10 rotates with a lower number of revolutions than the conical pinion 8, causing hereby a swivelling of the bevel wheel 9 and a rotation of the shaft 7. Hereby the watch spring 18 is Wound up, until the resistance of the watch spring exceeds the resistance of the braking mechanism. At this moment the disc 14 begins to rotate at a higher number of revolutions, the watch spring is relieved and the movements are re.- peated in the manner described above.

In Fig. 2 the braking action on the disc 14 instead of being produced magnetically is exerted by means of a pin 19 of leather, cork or any other suitable material, pressed on the'disc 14 by a spring 20 and mounted to slide in a suitable guide 21.

Fig. 3 shows a'preferred form of braking mechanism, in which the braking action is produced by a fan. In this construction the toothed wheel 11 meshes with a pinion 12 secured to a shaft 22, which carries a toothed Wheel 23, meshing with a pinion 24 secured to a shaft 25. The shaft 25 carries a toothed wheel 26, which meshes with a pinion 27 secured to a shaft 28, the shafts 22, 25 and 28 being mounted to rotate in suitable supports 30. The shaft. 28 carries fan blades 29, which produce the braking acti-on on the conical pinion 10.

As before remarked, it will be evident that the differential gear represented in the drawing can be changed, and it may be replaced by any suitable equalizing or yielding mechanism without affecting the principle ot my invention. It is also evident, that any suitable braking mechanism can be used in connection with the said differential gear or other equalizing mechanism without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The watch or clock and the mileage or speed indicator, when jointly driven by my improved apparatus in the manner indicated above can be suitably arranged sido by side on the motor car. v

I claiml. A device ot the character described, comprising, in combination, a main spring, a normally rotating member, a differential gear mechanism between said rotating member and spring, means tor transmitting motion from said rotating member to said dilerential mechanism, means for causing a planetary motion o'l' one member of said difterential gear mechanism, and means actuated by said planetary motion for winding said spring.

2. A device ot the character described5 comprising, in combination, a spring, a normally rotating member, a differential gear mechanism between said rotatating member anism, and means actuated by said resistance for winding said sprin. i

3. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a spring, a shaft mounted for rotation adjacent to said spring, a pair of differential gears mounted for rota# tion on said shaft, a bearing secured to the shat't and carrying an intermediate difterential gear in mesh with both of said pair of gears, a normally rotating member, gearing between said normally rotating member and one of said pair of differential gears, means acting on the other of lsaid pair yfor resisting rotary motion thereof 'thereby to cause a plenetary motion of said intermediate gear and to rotate the shaft, and gearing between said shaft and spring tor winding the latter. 'Y

In testimony whereof I have signed vmy name to this specification.

KARL vHEINRICH MEIER, 

